There’s a specific kind of anxiety that comes with December. The lists. The endless scrolling text of “Best Of” rankings that turn art into algebra. I usually dread them.
- The Art of the Illustrated Recap
- James Chapman’s 2025 Top 10: The Selections
- Hidden Gems Worth Hunting
- Key Takeaways
- FAQ: James Chapman 2025 Film Illustrations
- Why do UK release dates affect which films appear on Chapman’s 2025 list?
- Does Chapman’s “cute” illustration style work for horror films like Nosferatu and Sinners?
- What makes an illustrated film list different from a written review?
- Why is One Battle After Another considered Chapman’s undeniable 2025 favorite?
But then there’s the quiet scratching of a pen in Leeds, UK.
For years now, I’ve found myself waiting for James Chapman’s annual recap. Not because I need another voice telling me what to watch—Lord knows we have enough of those—but because Chapman doesn’t just list films. He distills them. He takes a two-hour experience and shrinks it into a single, vibrant notepad square.
It reminds me of the sketchbook in Hereditary—minus the demonic possession, obviously. It’s the act of capturing a feeling before it fades.
The Art of the Illustrated Recap
Chapman’s style is deceptively “cute.” But look closer at his entry for Sinners or the shadowing on Nosferatu. There’s reverence there. He draws and colors images in a notepad that vividly recreate his favorite aspects of each film.
In an era of AI-generated slop and glossy Photoshop posters, seeing marker on paper feels radical. It’s tactile. It’s disarming. You look at his drawing for It Was Just an Accident and you forget you’re looking at a listicle. You’re looking at a diary.
I have to admit—and this is embarrassing—I’m jealous. My notebooks are filled with illegible scrawls and coffee stains; his are filled with culture.
James Chapman’s 2025 Top 10: The Selections
The inclusion of Nosferatu here feels correct. Robert Eggers’ vision isn’t just a film; it’s a texture. Chapman captures that gothic oppression perfectly, even in miniature.
A few technical notes: Nosferatu and Nickel Boys are technically 2024 films for Americans, but they were released in the UK in 2025. So they made his list this year. Fair play. Release dates are a construct anyway.
And then there’s his number one pick.
“A lot of incredible films this year (I painted 42 of them!) but for me there was one undeniable favourite,” Chapman wrote. That favorite? One Battle After Another.
“Sensei and Bob and Willa and Lockjaw – it rules.”
Sometimes we over-intellectualize why a movie works. We talk about pacing and cinematography and three-act structures. Chapman cuts through the noise. It just rules. Maybe—maybe—that’s the more honest form of criticism. Or maybe I’m romanticizing simplicity because I’m tired. Hard to tell anymore.
Hidden Gems Worth Hunting
I was thrilled to see The Ballad of Wallis Island make the cut. It’s a charmer that usually gets buried under blockbuster rubble by December. Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You with Rose Byrne is another must-watch.
If you dig into his full Top 30, you find the weirder stuff: Bugonia, Friendship, Sorry, Baby, Memoir of a Snail. These are the films that give a year its flavor. It’s easy to list Oscar bait. It takes taste to list Memoir of a Snail.
Chapman sells many of these illustrations on Etsy. I’ve bought a few over the years. They sit on my desk, reminding me that even the darkest horror movies can be turned into something bright and holdable.
If there are films here you haven’t seen, add them to your queue. Cinema is a flat circle—or maybe just a square page in a notepad in Leeds.
Key Takeaways
- Hand-drawn beats algorithm. Chapman’s marker-on-paper style cuts through digital noise with a personal touch rare in film criticism.
- Regional release timing matters. Films like Nosferatu and Nickel Boys appear here due to 2025 UK theatrical dates.
- The undeniable favorite. One Battle After Another took the top spot, described simply as something that “rules.”
- Genre balance is key. The list spans from heavy horror (Sinners) to indie charmers (The Ballad of Wallis Island).
- Support the artist. Chapman illustrated 42 films in 2025; prints are available via his Etsy shop and Patreon.
FAQ: James Chapman 2025 Film Illustrations
Why do UK release dates affect which films appear on Chapman’s 2025 list?
Regional release schedules create staggered cultural moments. While American audiences processed Nosferatu and Nickel Boys in late 2024, the UK theatrical window pushed them into 2025 discourse. This means a film can live in the zeitgeist across two distinct annual cycles depending on where the critic—or artist—is based.
Does Chapman’s “cute” illustration style work for horror films like Nosferatu and Sinners?
There’s a long tradition of disarming horror through softer art styles. By rendering terrifying subjects in a sketchbook aesthetic, Chapman highlights the iconic design elements—silhouette, color palette, composition—rather than just the fear factor. It forces appreciation of art direction separate from adrenaline.
What makes an illustrated film list different from a written review?
An illustration bypasses the analytical brain and hits the emotional one. A written review tells you what to think; an illustration reminds you how the movie felt. Chapman’s approach is about preserving joy rather than cataloging flaws.
Why is One Battle After Another considered Chapman’s undeniable 2025 favorite?
Chapman doesn’t write lengthy theses—he lets the art speak. But the film’s eclectic characters and strong visual identity likely offered the most vivid imagery to recreate. Artists often gravitate toward films with memorable aesthetic signatures, and One Battle After Another apparently delivered that in spades.
